Is the inside or outside lane faster overall on busy motorways?

Driving frequently on motorways I am faced with delays and queues with stop, start and slow progress. Is there any research to suggest that either the inside or outside lanes might on average offer quicker progress ?

Asked on 19 October 2013 by JLM, Rickmansworth

Answered by Honest John

I don't know of any research. But in my experience in heavy traffic lane one generally moves faster than lane three, largely because it contains calmer, more patient drivers. It's different on the M25 and M42 because there are more frequent junctions, with vehicles entering and leaving in lane one.

Tags: motorways traffic

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